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Wednesday, November 8, 2017

In June, following the shooting of Rep. Scalise and several others, we posted here about the connection between mass shootings and domestic violence. In the wake of another mass shooting by a perpetrator with a history of domestic violence, we felt it was important to share a case from our files to illustrate how our advocates can intervene when an domestic abuser is known to have guns. Victoria*
filed for an order of protection against her abuser alleging both physical and
emotional abuse. She shared with her Court Order of Protection Assistance
(COPA) advocate that her abuser had threatened to shoot her. Victoria was granted
an ex parte and the abuser was served with the temporary order. The next day Victoria’s advocate
was notified by a gun shop that Victoria’s abuser had purchased a hand gun. This was made possible through a partnership with the St. Louis City
Sheriff’s Office. In Missouri,
such a purchase while the Order of Protection is pending is still legal.

Once
notified, Victoria's advocate contacted the victim to warn her of the purchase and to
safety plan with her. She communicated that she no longer felt safe residing in
the city and would be going to stay with relatives in the county. Victoria’s
advocate was able to communicate her concerns to one of the St. Louis City
Police detectives. The Domestic Violence Intervention Partnership (DVIP)
advocate in the police department got involved in Victoria's case, as well.

Upon losing
communication with the victim, her advocates became very concerned for her
safety. The DVIP advocate sent a police officer to the victim’s
relatives’ home to check on her safety. Victoria was ultimately granted a full
order of protection and the abuser was ordered to surrender his firearm to the
local police department. She also began seeing a counselor at CVAC.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of domestic violence, CVAC's hotline is 314-652-3623. *name and some details have been changed to protect the victim's privacy

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Last week, the United States suffered two more highly
publicized shootings in which multiple people were injured or killed. At a UPS
facility in San Francisco, three employees were killed and at least two more
were injured. On a ballfield in Washington D.C., Rep. Steve Scalise and three
others were shot, but all are expected to survive. The alleged shooters from
both cases are deceased. These follow cases like the shooting at the Pulse
Nightclub, Emanuel AME Church, and in San Bernadino. After any mass casualty
event, law enforcement and the media will dissect the life and possible motives
of the shooters. What led up to this shooting? Were there warning signs? How
can we prevent another one from happening?

One important thing to note, however, is that not all mass
shootings makes the news like the two did last week. These types of shootings,
carried out in public, are not the rule for mass shootings. They are the
exception.

The majority of mass shootings where 4 or more victims are
killed (54%) include the murder of an intimate partner or a family member. The
majority of these cases (70%) also occur in the home, not in public. The story
of mass violence in American is not one of religion or race or politics; the
story of mass violence in America is a story of domestic violence.

To have a meaningful discussion of violence in America,
especially of mass fatal violence, we need to have a meaningful discussion
about domestic violence. We need to talk about why more than 11,000 of our St.
Louis area neighbors had to seek services after being victims of domestic
violence and why more than 500 sought services but were unable to receive them due
to program capacity. We need to talk about why there are only 130 domestic
violence shelter beds in St. Louis and why, even with 40,000 bed nights used in
those shelter beds in 2015, over 5,000 people were turned away because the shelters
were full. We need to talk about why agencies have to do so much with so
little. We need to talk about why there are thousands of our neighbors
suffering in silence. We need to talk about why domestic violence is not just a
private issue. It is a public crisis.

Crime Victim Advocacy Center serves victims of domestic
violence regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. If you have been
a victim of domestic violence and would like to speak to an advocate,
counselor, or lawyer, please call CVAC’s hotline at 314-652-3623.

Thursday, April 20, 2017

This Saturday, Crime Victim Advocacy Center and the Homicide, Ministers & Community Alliance will host their 7th Annual Vigil of Remembrance for Homicide Victims. As the partnership between CVAC and HMCA has grown, so has the relationship with the police and with the number of referrals. At the first vigil in 2010, we honored 149 victims of homicide at a vigil attended by less than 40 family members. This year, the solemn list includes 270 victims.

We gather together not because these individuals died, but because they lived. Their life, their laughter and love, their sorrow and joy were shared with family and friends who are left to grieve their loss. Grief is the price that we pay for loving someone.